However long the night, the dawn will break
by Gemdrive
Summary: One really long night that the turtles will wish never happened. Shredder basks in glory at their capture, enjoying the mental and physical games he subjects them to. He thinks this is their end, they think they'll kill him when they get free.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the TMNT, I just like to borrow them from time to time and write stories for fun. No harm intended.

It should be noted that I haven't written for a long time and this is to try and kick start my brain, updates might be slow. It should also be known that, yes, I do enjoy torturing Leonardo but this is a prologue and the actual story will be about how they got into this predicament and ultimately, how they get out of it. Please let me know what you think you wonderful, wonderful readers! x

**However long the night, the dawn will break.**

**Prologue**

"Choose which it should be, choose the son you want to watch suffer."

Saki stands over Splinter with dark eyes, the impending pleasure he is going to feel is beyond any evil that they have ever faced. He lives to torture, lives to destroy all who oppose him. He lives purely to break their spirit.

"I will not choose," Splinter responds calmly, "I will not help you punish my family."

Saki smiles, "Then you will watch two of them die now and I will have the luxury of deciding." Slowly, Saki moves to the side and places his hands behind his back. He paces along the wall where the four turtles are sitting against it with their arms raised, chains bounding their wrists. They all looked battered, beaten but not broken. They were not easy to lure in and annoyingly the whole process took too long but that did not worry Saki, he had them now and that was all that mattered.

"I admit I very much enjoyed the chase. Some came easily, without much effort. Others were certainly harder to ensnare." He crouched in front of Leonardo, with a slight motion he gripped the turtles jaw. "My Foot ninja admitted you were the worst, but they dealt equally heavy blows in return, I see."

Leo glared at Saki; he could hear Raphael growling low in his throat as their enemy touched him. Leonardo's right eye had taken much punishment, swollen and bleeding it stung heavily and, he assumed, looked worse with the broken blood vessel staining his eye red. He knew there was no point in trying to pull away, with the strong grip Saki had on him it wouldn't have worked. At this close a position, it would have been easy to deal a blow to Saki with his leg but that would only serve to anger their tormentor, more than likely he would take it out on one of his brothers instead.

"Should I kill you first?" Saki whispered lightly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement and his smile grew, he loved the reaction to that simple question.

"Leave him alone, Shredder."

Ah, the feisty one. Shredder flicked his wrist and released his grip; the action threw Leonardo's head back into the wall. It wasn't too hard but considering his condition it must certainly have hurt. He stood quickly and almost bounced towards Raphael, careful to control his excitement, he slowed his move.

Again, he squatted down.

"You'd rather I kill you instead?" This time he was not as gentle. He grabbed Raphael about the head, his hand covering the turtle's crown with his thumb pressing hard into his temple. The pressure hurt and Saki deliberately dug his fingernails into his head to make it as painful as possible.

"Give it your best shot, asshole." Raphael spat angrily, he didn't care what happened to himself so long as the attention was on him and not his brothers.

"But if I kill you then you cannot save them, or do you want to die first so that you do not see them suffering?" Saki moved in close and turned Raphael's head to the side, there was only an inch between them. "Being powerless isn't much fun is it?"

Saki pulled back and laughed hysterically, "Oh this is too much!"

He moved in close to Raphael again, "I already know who is to be first, to die or torture, I don't mind but first nonetheless."

He whispered so quietly that no one else could hear and Raphael's reaction was apparent, he screamed aloud, pulling hard against the chains that scabbed cuts broke open again. He lashed out with his legs but Saki moved back quickly, his laughter running chills down Splinter's spine.

Splinter was powerless to help any of them, he bowed his head and took deep breaths, with every one he took he centred himself and pulled each wrist rhythmically. They were tight but with the right effort and time they were going to loosen and he would be free.

Saki moved toward Donatello, he didn't drop down; instead, he drew his sword from its resting place. "You're first."

He raised the sword high above his head, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could smell their fear, their anger, rage, hatred. He could hear their screams as they all protested and offered each other for this cruel game.

All except one.

Splinter sat silent.

Saki stopped; he turned towards the rat and cocked his head to one side, "Is his life forfeit?"

Splinter shook his head, "This is just another aspect of your horrific game, he will not die by your hand, not like this."

Saki smiled, "How can you be so sure Rodent?"

"Because you want me to choose and I do not choose him." Splinter looked at each of his sons, Raphael silently pleads that he be chosen, Michelangelo and Donatello too.

Leonardo gives his Father only the simplest of looks... _Me_

Saki exhales slowly, "Who is it to be?"

Splinter raises his chin, "Me."

Saki shakes his head vigorously, "Oh no, that isn't how my game works. You choose one of them, not yourself."

He spins to face all of his prisoners, "Look at you! All of you! You're all so afraid to watch each other suffer and yet all so _brave_ to suffer the pain yourselves!" He spins back to Splinter, "I grow bored of this, choose now or they all die!"

The blade moves to the closest turtle, "ten seconds to decide or Michelangelo dies first!"

_Ten..._

_Time, I need time. If I choose then time is given to us, if I don't then there is no chance for any of us._

_Nine..._

_But who to choose, the strongest in spirit? Strength? Who could survive the longest?_

_Eight..._

_They all offer themselves; they all give themselves to this._

_Seven..._

_Why must I choose?_

_Six..._

_Whom must I choose?_

_Five..._

_Raphael, strong, hardy, his anger would keep him alive._

_Four..._

_Michelangelo, free spirit, energetic, capable, his hope would keep him alive._

_Three..._

_Donatello, intelligent, calculating, his focus would keep him alive._

_Two..._

_Leonardo, controlled, born leader, his family would keep him alive._

_One..._

_Forgive me..._

"Leonardo." Splinter bows his head low, he wants to meet his son's eyes but he cannot. Leonardo closes his eyes and nods softly, pleased and frightened at the same time.

Saki chuckles and, with one smooth move, sheaths his sword; he claps slowly, "Well done. I would never have thought that you would actually commit to the torture of your son but you have. I hope he is more forgiving than the rest of your freakish children."

Splinter didn't need to look at his sons to see it, he could feel their disapproval.


	2. Raphael and the ninja

Disclaimer: Don't own them, making no money from them, just for fun. Blah, blah, blah.

**A/N: Please read the prologue first, aside from the italics, this chapter picks up right after that.** Since it's been so long since I posted the first part, I don't expect anyone to have read that or remembered it if they have. Sorry it's been so long, for those that wanted to read more. Life is horribly cruel and a slave driver.

However long the night, the dawn will break

Chapter 1

_Raphael didn't think this night could get any worse than it already was; meditation exercises were boring enough on their own. Having Master Splinter sitting opposite him in the middle of Central Park, at night, on a chilly October evening just made it worse._

_So he had another funk, so what? It wasn't as if they were a new thing, he had them all the time. What was so different about this time that he had to put up with a miserable meditation session, here of all places?_

_Leonardo._

_Yeah, it was all his fault. If he hadn't exploded over some stupid fight with some Dragons then none of this would be happening, he'd be home and dry. Literally._

_So what if they had guns? It's not like they'd ever get hit, Dragons can't aim for shit._

_And, dammit, they're ninjas! If they can't easily handle some punks then they may as well hang up their bandanas now._

_Leo didn't get a punishment for starting the damn fight; he got off with a stern look. That ain't fucking fair._

"_You are not concentrating, Raphael."_

_He sighs loudly, intent to show his father that he wasn't pleased. "Pretty damn hard to concentrate when I can't feel my toes."_

_A slight chuckle, "Then concentrate on your toes."_

_Raphael huffed, "Funny." He let out another sigh and started to wiggle, "My butt's going numb too."_

_Splinter opened his eyes, knowing that they would get no further in this lesson. "If you intend to grumble like a small child, we will achieve nothing tonight. Come, we will continue this in the morning."_

_Raphael looked to the sky with a hushed 'thank you' and started to brush his legs down, Splinter stood and turned, gathering up the blanket he had been sitting on. Suddenly, he shot up straight, spinning to Raphael and having only enough time to call his name before they were surrounded._

_Raphael bared his teeth, glaring whilst counting the number of ninja around them. For four turtles and a rat, the number would be easy. One rat and one turtle were _really_ pushing those odds._

The chains chinked in the silent room as Raphael grunted against them, futile as it was; at least he was doing something. His father, on the other hand, seemed content to just sit there. Raph glared at Splinter, angry with him for throwing Leo to the enemy.

He didn't like the look of Leo's injuries, between his two brothers, he looked worse off. Raphael, of course, couldn't really get a good look at himself but he didn't feel all that bad. He's certainly suffered worse pain, that much he knew.

Determined to deflect the attention from his family and onto himself, Raph took a deep breath and started to taunt their enemy. "You should'a picked me."

Saki turned, "Really? Why is that?"

Raph smiled, cruel and cold. "'Cause you need to wear me down, trust me. If you don't, when I get free, I'm gonna shove my sai right through your neck."

Saki tipped his head, walking the short distance to crouch low before Raphael. He seemed to be deep in thought, contemplative of some idea. Then his face lit up with glee.

"Wonderful suggestion, thank you." Saki stood quickly, moved to the door and opened it. Two ninja stood outside, he gave them instructions and watched them leave to carry out those orders, then closed the door and returned to his captives.

Again, he crouched down, gripping Raph's bicep, his thumb rubbing lightly over an untreated gash. Raphael took a breath, knowing what was coming as Saki pushed his thumb down hard. He couldn't hold in the cry, try as he might, it escaped and Shredder laughed.

Saki released his arm and Raphael panted, glaring defiantly at him. "That the best you got?"

"Since you think you're so capable of defeating me, maybe you can teach my ninja a thing or two. They need the extra target practise."

On cue, the door opened and Shredder's ninja entered, in their hands were manacles. "Now, you're going with my men. You will not fight them; you'll comply like a good little animal."

A blade appeared in his hand and he thrust it to the side of Raphael, under his older brother's chin, Leo's head tipped back with the movement of Saki's hand. "Understand?"

Raphael watched the blade, saw his brother's throat constrict. "Yeah, I get it."

"Good." The blade fell away. Raph kept his gaze on Leo, watching him whilst the ninja manacled his ankles and switched the wall cuffs for another set of restraints. When he had been adequately shackled, the ninja pulled him to his feet and he shuffled out of the room. He gave his family one last look, noticing their trepidation. Before the door closed, before he lost sight of them, he quirked a smile and winked.

The ninja were taking no chances, at least three blades were inches from his body, eight men surrounded him, of those he could see anyway. The chains made it impossible to do anything else but shuffle along the corridor, he felt ridiculously clumsy but then the whole situation made him laugh. This amount of iron, steel and manpower, these guys are genuinely _scared_ of us.

He made a mental note of his route, smiling to himself that they should've covered his head. A mistake that he fully intended to abuse later.

When they finally came to a stop, he was shoved through the open door into a large windowless dojo. Not content to satisfy them with an indecent landing, he rolled himself to his feet, smiling when they stood with weapons raised. This was going to be so much fun and he was deep in enemy territory with no weapons, how twisted is that?

The eight ninja forced him away from the door, further back into the room. One hesitantly stepped forward and started to remove the cuffs from his ankles, throwing them out of reach and repeating the process with those around his wrists.

Raphael kept grinning, bending his neck both ways, bones clicking. Cracking his knuckles, he stood tall. "What's first on the menu, fellas?"

More ninja entered the dojo, lining up along the length of the room, they all held up the shining stars, arms curling, ready to let loose.

Raphael huffed, "Beginners stuff, huh?"

As the first set of shuriken flew towards him, he dodged and ducked, flipping high in the air to change their target angle and give the ground some breathing space. They changed again, lowering their aim to the floor and Raphael leaped to avoid, hearing as some bounced off the ground, others lodging into the mats beneath his feet. When one shuriken hit its mark, slicing into Raph's deltoid muscle, the room fell silent.

The ninja who landed the blow pumped his fist in the air, whooping with glee. Raphael growled, wrenching the star from his shoulder and adjusting his grip on it.

"You dropped something." Raph sneered. Curling his arm, he took aim and threw the shuriken back towards its owner. The ninja's celebrations were cut short as the star hit, right between his eyes. As he crumpled to the ground, his comrades turned their attention from the dead man and back to the turtle, they watched Raphael rise, gleaming metal in both hands.

"First lesson, don't give me ammo."

xxxxxxx

A/N: Long time since this story was posted but I said I'd get my stories moving again, hope you enjoyed.

Thanks for reading :)


	3. Donatello the lab rat

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, someone else does, I'm just writing some fiction for fun.

A/N: Two chapters in one day? Really? Damn, I must be happy…

Ahem, anyway. As usual, no beta so forgive any inconsistencies.

However long the night, the dawn will break.

Chapter 2

Donatello – the lab rat.

_He only had one more item on the list, which suited Donatello down to the ground, since it was starting to get a little too cold out for his tastes. The junkyard offered a scant amount of protection from the breeze, at least, but the chill in the air didn't let up at all. He pondered if he should just leave the wiring and come back another day, it'll still be here, wiring tends to be abundant at a scrapheap._

_No, it wouldn't take too long to find some. Better to search for it now than make the trip twice, at any rate, he needed it for the refrigerator… again._

_A rattling sound to his left had him spinning; his bag discarded onto the floor, Bo staff drawn. He frowned and let out a sigh, the yard had begun to swarm with ninja. Numbers told Donatello that he didn't have a chance in hell._

"_You've got to be kidding me."_

Donatello sat quietly as Raphael goaded Saki, grimacing at his brother's blatant heckling that would inevitably enrage the madman with the blade. It wouldn't do to join in the conversation; Don knew clearly that his brother planned to draw attention away from the rest of them, aiming it squarely at himself. If he tried to interfere, Raphael would not be pleased. So, Donatello concluded, this conversation was all Raph's.

When he saw the knife pressed to Leo's throat, he tensed, even though he could hear that the threat had merely been used to keep Raphael under control during his transfer. Saki intended to use Raphael for 'target practise', whichever way you look at it, that didn't sound pleasant. He hoped that Raphael knew what he was doing.

When his brother winked on his way out, Donatello groaned. This couldn't end any way other than bloody, certainly not with that look he had on his face.

Once Raphael had been removed, the four remaining focused their attentions back to their captor. Saki appeared very content with himself, strutting around the room like a happy rooster. He gave Michelangelo a playful kick to the leg, not intended to hurt but to torment instead.

"Not so talkative now, are we?"

Mike grinned, "You know? I almost forgot, what with watching you prance around like a kid with candy. You haven't said your trademark line yet, where's the 'now, none of you will leave here alive' bullcrap?"

That earned Mike a punch to the face, a hard one. He watched his brother's head snap to the side, heard the sound as it hit the wall, Mike groaning as he shook the spinning room away.

Then Saki punched him again, Don started shouting, as did Leo alongside him. When Saki's fist came back for a third time, Donatello kicked out.

He put full force into his blow aimed squarely for Saki's midsection, gripping the chains for extra lift and thrusting forward with his free leg, the other pushed to the floor for strength. He growled as Saki cried out in pain and anger, ready for the expected reprisal. A moment of recoil and Saki reared up, shoving the blade of his knife under Don's chin and coming in close, not even an inch away from him.

Don hissed as the dagger broke skin, lifting his chin up and away as much as possible, he glared at the man in a battle of wills, as he heard Leo to his right, "No! Leave him alone!"

The door swung open and more ninja entered, obviously coming to their master's aid at the sound of his shouting. He pulled back, standing and turning away. Pointing the blade behind him and at Donatello, he barked out further orders.

"Take him to the genetics lab." He swung back, resuming his previous position. Hunched in front of Don, he narrowed his eyes. "As a scientist, I'm sure you can appreciate how valuable experimentation can be, for where would we be without it? Congratulations, you've just donated yourself to science."

Saki stood back to allow his ninja to restrain the turtle as they had Raphael before, Don didn't move, wary of Saki's earlier threat. They hauled him to his feet and started towards the door but stopped at the leader's command, Don turned and watched as Saki stalked towards him.

Without breaking his stride, Saki curled his fist and punched his prisoner across the face, the manacles around his ankles took away Donatello's ability to balance and the stars in his vision compounded his problem. He crumpled to the ground.

"Do not presume that such action shall be so quickly forgotten, freak."

Don spat the blood from his mouth and allowed the ninja to pull him upright, in his best 'Raph' impersonation, he spat. "Right back atcha, asshat."

Saki merely laughed as the door slipped closed, separating Don from his family.

He struggled along, the cuffs making it hard to walk at all. He didn't have to look around to see that he was, indeed, well guarded, no chance of making a break for it even if he wanted to. He knew that Saki would make good on his threat to hurt any one of his family if he didn't comply.

Don mapped the route, burning it to memory. Both he and Raph had rattled Saki's cage and had been removed for their own separate punishments. If Mike behaved, he knew that the remainder of his family would stay in that room. Once he had overcome this little obstacle, he was going back to give Saki what he owed him.

He heard a commotion further along the hall, the distinct sound of Raphael among a cacophony of battle cries. The fighting sounded brutal and he hoped his brother held the upper hand. As they neared an open door to his right, he could see a flash of green within the sea of black bodies. He stretched to see above the hoard and briefly caught his brother's gaze, Raphael's questioning look made Don mouth 'lab' before they lost sight of each other.

The door was abruptly slammed shut.

He refocused on the route ahead of him, grumbling to himself about the corridor needing signage as they stopped at the closed door to his left. As it opened, a man, dressed with a lab coat, stood just inside the entry and gestured them all inside. In the centre of the room laid a bare examination table, straps hanging free and waiting for Don's company. He was hoisted onto the table with hands under his arms and knees and he had to resist the urge to lash out and prevent his entrapment, instead, he willed himself to sit silently as they removed the shackles and replaced them with the leather straps. Once the 'doctor' was certain that Donatello was secure enough, he motioned for the ninja to leave.

The lab coated man pushed Don's head down flat to the table, flinging a strap over his plastron and biceps. Once secure, Don gave a small tug to each bond, testing them quietly.

"No need to struggle, those straps are very effective." The doctor said proudly.

"I see that," Don replied. "So what's first on your to-do list?"

The man seemed oblivious to Don's sarcasm, waving his hand. "Oh, simple things at first, a few samples for analysis and further experimentation at a later date."

He eyed the 'doctor' carefully, "Take your time, no need to rush these things. I'm sure Saki wouldn't want any errors in your results."

The man's smile turned into a sinister grin. "I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to correct any mistakes."

The scalpel in his hand gleamed in the bright light and Donatello's eyes widened; his arms began to twist in the restraints as the doctor moved closer, the medical blade inches from his plastron centreline.

Xxxxx

A/N: Just in case anyone is wondering, I have Shredder as a flesh and blood human in this. Even if I did borrow his utrom trademark 'never leave here alive' speech. Hope no one minds?

Thanks for reading :)


	4. Michelangelo the brave

Disclaimer: I don't own them, never have, and never will. Just using them for some harmless fan fiction, (well harmless to us, not so harmless to them).

A/N: Big thank you to BubblyShell22 and starblade12 for the reviews! And a big thanks to those that followed and/or added this to their favourite story list.

However long the night, the dawn will break.

Chapter 3

Michelangelo the brave.

_Michelangelo grinned happily, clutching his new prize close to his chest as he hurried for the warmth of home. When April had called to let him know the package had arrived, he couldn't leave the lair fast enough. After weeks of waiting, hours ticking by horribly slow, he could now breathe deeply again, hunker down and spend the rest of the night playing his brand new video game. Life was sweet._

_He'd barely jumped three rooftops when they came, surrounding him, boxing him in and just when he thought tonight would be good, they pounced._

"_You guys just killed my mood, you know that, right?"_

His head spun, ringing in his ears and the taste of blood in his mouth. He barely had time to register Don's removal from the room, content to let the world continue on whilst he adjusted to the new sensations of pain. A shadow loomed over him and he glanced up, watching Saki glare at him as he fought back a wave of nausea from his obviously concussed head. Saki's lips moved but Mike couldn't hear any words.

"Huh?"

Saki came closer, lifting his chin with his hand tight around his jaw. "Not so talkative now, are we?"

"Give me a minute." He sneered in return.

Saki dropped his hand away, standing and moving towards Splinter, apparently intent on tormenting him now. Mike took the moment to turn to the only remaining brother in the room, Leo stared back at him, worry etched into his face.

"I'm okay, 'bro." Mike whispered with a forced smile, wiggling his lower jaw to try to ease the pain.

He turned back to Shredder, listening intently as he questioned their father.

"Why so silent, Rat?"

Splinter raised his head but remained quiet, the bristle of fur on the back of his neck unmistakable.

"You claim to be their father but say nothing when I inflict pain, do you really care about them?"

"I care enough to remain silent," Splinter replied finally. "My words would not lessen your treatment of them, I have no doubt you would hurt them more."

Saki growled, unhappy with the calm response to the blatant taunting.

It happened so fast, Splinter barely had time to prepare for the blow to his stomach, doubling up in agony and coughing on reflex alone. He steeled himself and pulled upright again, preparing for the next strike as he listened to his sons yelling for Saki to stop. The punch to his head rattled him but he didn't relent, he kept resuming his position, adamant to show Saki he would not stay down.

Saki cried out, enraged and frustrated. Furious that, even when ensnared, they would not break, constantly fighting, goading him, refusing to admit defeat. He spun, twisted the knife in his hand, bounded over to Leonardo and raised it high above his head.

Leo sat still, stoic and calm, his eyes stayed focused on Shredder as he watched and waited, giving the man nothing. Mike could see it, though, could see the faint rise and fall of his plastron, the quickened breathing giving away the fear.

Mike frantically pulled at the chains, his body moving, legs kicking out but not within reach. He screamed out, fear overriding him, pushing back all sense of bravado, taunting finished, he didn't care.

He didn't care that he was suddenly begging, "No, please!"

Splinter broke his silence, knowing that Saki would carry out his threat. They only had to hold out, continue to play Saki's game long enough for one of them to take advantage, to find a way out. They just needed time, time that Saki, in his anger, had decided to take from Leonardo.

"Saki, no!"

With an incensed cry, Saki swung the knife down.

"No!"

"Leo!"

Leo's head tipped back, smacking into the wall as he cried out in agony at the blade lodged in his thigh. Saki kept his grip, sneering as he savagely twisted it and ripped another agonised scream from his prisoner. All of the pent up rage flowed from him and into the hand that held the dagger, twisting and pivoting the handle, sickly imagining the blade shredding Leo's muscle.

He could vaguely hear the others, begging him to stop, pleading for him to release Leonardo.

When Leo's cries turned into groans, he eased his pressure and slowly let go of the handle, leaving the knife firmly embedded in the turtle's leg.

Leonardo slumped against the chains, panting and gasping as he tried to adjust to the constant pain in his thigh. He looked up at Saki with half-closed eyes; the returned look sent a shiver down his spine.

Saki's eyes were alight with excitement.

His gaze never left Leo as he addressed Splinter.

"I haven't forgotten your choice, rodent." He said, "We shall see how talkative you are when Leonardo is begging for death."

"As for you," Saki whirled to Mike, "I wonder how much you'll talk as you watch whilst your brother is ripped in two."

Shredder stood, stalking towards the door and flinging it open, he walked away and left one of the two guards to close it behind him.

Now that they were alone, the three remaining occupants relaxed, allowing their bodies to recover as much as they could before Saki returned. Leo hissed through gritted teeth, shutting his eyes and resting against the wall. After a moment, his breathing slowed, body slouching in the chains. Mike needed to keep Leo conscious.

"Talk to me, Leo." He said. "Please. I need to know you're still with me 'bro."

He held his breath, waiting for his big brother to respond. Seconds ticked by and Mike opened his mouth to ask again but Leo finally spoke.

"Still here," came the reply.

Mike let out the breath he was holding, sagging and suddenly remembering his own pain. He squinted his eyes shut, trying to will the headache away.

"My sons, we must remain strong. This night is far from over and more is yet to come." Splinter kept a watchful eye on his two remaining children, concerned for them and the two that were absent. Raphael, he had no doubt, would fight hard. His strongest son rarely accepted defeat, even when odds dictated that it was impossible. He assured himself, that he would return, his son's grim determination a rock for his brothers.

Donatello, he truly feared for, as Saki had removed him to a laboratory. His son would be restrained but his intellect held no bounds, if an opportunity presented itself, he would take it readily. He hoped that no harm would come to either of them, as it had to Leonardo and Michelangelo, their clan already weakened by two. It would take a great deal of effort to flee this prison, one which he didn't think two of his sons would be able to do.

The door opened again, a group of five ninja entered, one pushed along a sack barrow carrying weights and a pulley. Another held a ladder.

Leo stared with wide eyes as the ninja silently set up the pulley in the centre of the room, hooking it into the eyelet on the ceiling and unwinding the chain and hook to waist height.

Saki strolled in, barely through the door, he pointed to Leo. "String him up."

Two of his men approached Leonardo, shackling his ankles and reaching for his wrists. Mike watched in horror, startled into immobility by the shear prospect that this was actually happening. His eyes met Leo's and he saw the fear.

Mike lashed out, the closest ninja too busy to see the blow as his foot struck home. The man fell forward, jarring the blade in Leo's leg as he slumped across him. More approached him and he kicked at those too, suddenly urged to fight and die now than allow Leo to deal with…

The blade sliced into his thighs, matching horizontal slashes that cut deep and screamed hot fire. He recoiled as much as he could and glanced up, watching as Saki sheathed his katana.

"For that, you'll be next when your brother is dead."

Mike could see that his commotion had earned Splinter two swords pointed at his throat, another at his own. He turned back to see Leo pulled from the floor and shoved towards the centre of the room. They hooked the chain around his wrists to the pulley and hoisted enough so that Leo's arms were slack above his head, a bar between his ankles and above the manacle chain, which the ninja added the weights to.

His brother had been secured and Mike stopped breathing again, the clatter of the winching chain deafening as he watches his brother's arms lift higher and higher.

Xxxxxx

A/N: Another chapter done and I can't believe this is flowing so well, as is Three Weeks just not as fast. That story is definitely showing me that first person narrative is bloody hard.

Thanks for reading folks, you're too kind. :)


	5. Raphael and the Ninja Part 2

Disclaimer: Yet again, I reiterate how I certainly do not own the TMNT and associated characters, make no money from or intending to make money from this. It's purely for fun.

A/N: If you like fight scenes, you're lucky, because that's what this chapter is. If you're looking for something more to do with Leo, Don and Mike's predicament, that'll be next chapter onwards. Raphael fans can rejoice as this chapter is all his.

Once again, a huge thank you for all those who have reviewed, added to favourites and followed this story. I can't say that enough. And a thank you to all those who have read this so far. I hope I am keeping you entertained.

Hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

However long the night, the dawn will break.

Chapter 4 – Raphael and the Ninja part 2.

So now, it came down to planning. Raphael knew that Donatello had been separated from the others but he had no idea if anyone else had or if they were all still together. He hoped it was the latter, at least, in that way, with most of his family in one place the odds of escaping were better. There wasn't much he could do right now, though. He still had to contend with Saki's little ninja army in their dojo; and by army, Raphael could count around thirty.

Those were good odds, coupled with the fact that, alone, Raphael could unleash some serious hell.

Three of them ran for him, swords raised in ready positions and yelling aloud, more for their own benefit and bravado than to scare him; he growled in return, throwing the shuriken in his hands at them. Two dropped immediately, the other staggered, intent on reaching him but only succeeding in falling at Raphael's feet.

With a new weapon at his disposal and now roughly twenty-seven ninja to play with, he gave them a wicked grin as he bent to pick up the fallen ninja's weapon.

"I'm insulted, Shredder couldn't even throw in a few Elites?" Raphael taunted, "Instead I'm stuck with the dropouts."

That did it.

Raphael smiled as eight of them rushed forward, all throwing energy in his direction. He dropped down and tensed his legs, lunging forward and barrelling into two, they flew above him, cartwheeling in the air and landing in a heap on the mat. As they landed, he spun around and blocked a sword that swept for his head; sliding the katana away with ease, he swung his arm around and punched the man square in the chest. The force of the thrust sent him toppling backwards, trying to stay standing but tripping over his own feet.

_Three down._

Another two came at him, putting themselves either side of him and he ducked, their own weapons clattering against each other. Raphael smiled to himself as he wondered how any of these men were ever a threat to his family, they certainly lacked in teamwork. He decided then that that was his plan, he'd use as many of these bozos against each other as he could.

He raised his katana and blocked another blow, realising that with all of this effort, he still needed to figure out a way to actually rescue his family and find a way out of the building. He allowed his mind to wander, blocking blows and letting the ninja around him expel their own energies first.

What had he seen in the corridor? Three doors, this one, the one they dragged him from and another set further back. He hadn't encountered the other end of the corridor but he would soon enough when he made his way along it for Donatello.

He lashed out with the katana to push the ninja back and give himself some room, glancing behind him and dropping quickly to mule kick an advancing ninja. _Four._

He rolled sideways, avoiding a downward swing of another sword, and sweeping his leg out to take out the feet of the stunned Foot ninja ahead of him; that look alone bolstered him, they were starting to doubt that they were actually in control of this situation. This was good, Raphael thought, now they were really going to start making mistakes.

_Five._

The remaining three ninja hesitated, each looking to the other for a signal to strike. When none of them moved, Raphael did. Rushing them and slamming his fist into the one directly ahead of him, he bunched his legs and launched into the air, a split kick smashing the last two hard in the face.

_Eight._

Which left him with nineteen very worried ninja between him and the door.

"I hope you guys are a lot better than your buddies over here," Raphael moved towards the side wall, edging nearer the door and giving himself the empty floor space. "I ain't even warmed up yet."

Another group approached him, this time ten. He smiled at the realisation that with each wave the number grew and it only made him look more menacing when he chuckled. "Am I making you nervous?"

Four ninja ran to him, keeping their swords low and ahead of themselves. Raph turned, running towards the wall and leaping into the air, kicking off it and over the attacking men. One ninja hit the wall hard and dropped, heaving in air to his winded lungs. _One._

The others managed to stop themselves before impact, Raph decided to rectify that by kicking two of them hard enough that they slammed into the wall and dropped unconscious to the floor. _Three._

As their stunned, remaining associate turned and brought his sword up, Raph kicked out sideways and smashed the man hard in the chest. _Four._

Six remained; they spaced themselves out, forming a half-circle around Raph as he stood with his back to the wall.

This time, he would wait. Let them come to him.

He had to be careful, they could easily thrust with their katana and have the same reach as him; but with them at all sides, avoiding one sword would leave him open from another. Luckily, the decision was made for him as one man to his right attacked and broke the line; his colleagues protested but not before Raph blocked the strike and spun with his elbow raised. The ninja stumbled forward with the blow to the back of his head, falling into Raph's previous position and leaving Raphael out of reach to all but one. _Five._

That lone ninja didn't expect or anticipate the move, barely bringing his weapon into the situation before Raphael grabbed his arm and swung him into the wall. _Six._

As the others advanced; Raph ducked another sweep of sword and lunged forward, his shoulder hitting another in the stomach and, as the man doubled over, Raphael straightened fast, smacking the man in the chin with the back of his head. _Seven._

Raphael could feel the tiredness creeping up on him, slowly eating away at his reserves. As he started to doubt whether he would have the strength to take on the ninja still standing, he decided that he needed to come up with a new plan. When the next man rushed forward, Raphael let his sword drop to the floor and grappled with him, twisting the wrist savagely to make him drop his weapon.

Using the man as a shield, Raphael began to rummage around in the ninja's clothes for his next surprise; hoping that they all carried the same kind of weapons as he and his brothers always ensured they had.

He grinned when he found what he was looking for, grabbing all that the man had he released his grip and spun him, head-butting him hard.

As the man fell to the ground, Raphael started to move towards the middle of the room, taking in his surroundings and allowing the remaining ninja to swamp him.

When he was surrounded, he held up his hands, fists clenched. "Ok, fellas. You got me."

He watched as the men froze, none of them prepared to move in case the Turtle had another trick up his proverbial sleeve.

Which, luckily for Raph, he did.

He chuckled in mild amusement, "Not falling for it, huh?"

Suddenly, he swung his arm down fast, releasing his grip on the pilfered smoke pellets. As they hit and detonated, Raphael leaped into the air, over the ninja and landed by the dojo door. He stretched wide to his right and reached for the weapons rack, snagging two Bo staff and pulled open the door.

He stepped from the room and pivoted, pulling the door closed and wedging one of the staff through the handle and across the doorframe.

Knowing now that time was not on his side, he looked either way down the length of the corridor.

He jumped in surprise at the screams that came from either end. One he couldn't recognise, the other he knew was that of his brother.

* * *

A/N: Oh my God, I hate fight scenes. I really, really, REALLY hate fight scenes. I'm considering this chapter an exercise (no pun intended) in improving my fight scene description. If you managed to get this far, please let me know if I pulled it off successfully?

My apologies for the short chapter, lack of conversation and lack of other turtles but this chapter had to be like this. I blame Raphael; it was his fault for goading Saki into chucking him in a dojo and forcing me to sweat about writing a stupid fight scene.

Thanks for reading. :)


	6. Oh Brother

_Disclaimer: I still don't own them, if I did, Don wouldn't have a gap in his teeth and the word 'Booyakasha' would be burned to a crisp and our traditional 'Cowabunga' would be reinstated._

_A/N: A thank you to all those who have reviewed, added to favourites and read this story so far. You're all so kind to take the time to look at this, thank you._

However Long the Night, the Dawn will Break.

Chapter 5 – Oh Brother.

Hearing his brother scream sent a shiver down Raphael's spine, he wanted nothing more than to run to his aid but knew it would be futile. He needed help to rescue his family, help he knew was down the opposite end of the hall. Donatello.

He had to weigh up his options, there was no escaping this if he fought on his own, no saving them if he didn't have backup. He started to plan as he went, thinking of ways to clear the room that held his family and the route they would take to flee the building with the wounded. He shuddered at the thought, knowing from that scream that, at least one of his brothers wasn't walking out of here under their own steam.

He could see elevators at the far end of the hall, marking them mentally as a possible route. They'd likely have some resistance to deal with when they reached the ground floor but if they had the element of surprise, the numbers would be manageable. He spotted a service hatch low to the ground, wide enough for them to fit, that created another option and also a means of covering their tracks. Glancing up at the ceiling, he wondered if they could move among the tight access above, it would be an easy place to hide but an awkward escape route as they made their way through the building. The wounded would have some trouble but the option of slow and steady would work better for them.

Right now, though, Raphael had to focus on getting everyone free.

Rushing along the corridor, Bo staff in hand, he reached the nearest door, flinging it open and pushing inside. He stopped and stood, jaw dropped at the sight.

Don looked over with limited movement, his teeth latched onto the white coated man's ear as he, himself laid strapped to the table. The doctor held a scalpel near to Don's plastron and Raph scanned quickly for open wounds on his brother, he couldn't see any and sighed in relief. Don growled and Raph could see the grip on the doctor's ear had produced blood; it dribbled down Don's jaw and dropped onto the table beneath.

Raph stood shocked, watching as the man dared not move with wide eyes looking in his direction. He smiled at the man's fear, mildly amused that Don had found a way to subdue him even with every limb bound. He told himself that he'd have to ask his brother about that later, he was sure it would be an interesting story judging by the anger on Don's face.

"Will you ge' ov'r here?" Don snapped.

Raph chuckled as he approached, bending down to stare at the scene close up. He reached down to pluck the scalpel from the doctor's hand, looking into his eyes and glaring.

"Let him go, Don. I got him."

Don did as he was told; releasing the doctor's ear and turning to the side to disgustingly spit and clear his mouth.

"Ugh, the things I do to stop a dissection." He grumbled, still spitting.

The doctor fell away, backing up into the table behind him and clutching at his bleeding ear. Raph took a moment to free one of Don's wrists and the strap across his plastron, circling the table to encroach on the doctor's space. He raised the blade so that the doctor could clearly see it, chuckling when the man's eyes rolled up and closed, his body crumbling to the floor.

Raph raised an eye ridge, turning un-amused, "He ain't as brave when we're not strapped down, huh?"

Don looked up as he worked on the leather straps around his ankles, "He's particularly overconfident in his capabilities too; I mean, really? That close to my still mobile head and he had to gloat about how pretty my insides must look." Don rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed with the unconscious man. He pivoted off of the table, taking a moment to wipe his face and neck clear of blood. "I need a toothbrush, paste, mouthwash and a breath mint." He grumbled, "I feel dirty."

Raph shook his head, "Later, Brainiac. We got some work to do."

...

_Leo enjoyed the nice cool evening, taking a moment to breathe in the chilled air and watching as it misted out around him. The rooftop run had warmed him considerably and he decided that he had had enough, turning to double back and head for home._

_As he neared the edge of the rooftop, readying to leap across, he caught sight of a shadow moving in his peripheral vision. Showing no signs of noticing, he picked up his pace and leaped, landing deftly and not hesitating as he continued on. The shadows continued to move and he counted all he could see, noting that he was slowly being surrounded. Deciding that fleeing was now not an option, he stood and pulled his katana, the sound an instant signal for his enemy as they rushed him._

_He took as many as he could down, looking for any advantage that he could find to give him the upper hand or find him an escape route._

_As the Foot ninja split apart, making way for their superiors, Leo groaned._

Typical, _he thought morosely, _Elite.

...

Leo grimaced in pain, his leg throbbing with the embedded blade, his joints beginning to ache with each click of the pulley. He couldn't force himself to look at Mike, hearing him begging was bad enough and he found himself using every ounce of focus he possessed to control his racing heart.

Leo silently willed his brother to have strength, not daring to speak in case his voice betrayed him. He could feel his enemy circling him, could almost taste his breath with how close Shredder scrutinised him during his sick, twisted show of power. He felt a twinge, a short burst of mild pain and he then realised that the man had gripped the handle of the blade. He tried to steel himself, joints stiffening in readiness but that only resulted in his muscles protesting against his efforts and those of the stretching that was gradually being forced upon him. The pain intensified as he felt Saki twist the knife in his leg, unable to contain the scream of agony as the pulley clicked further.

The double onslaught gave Saki the desired effect, Leo's breathing quickened, his chest heaving as the man gripped his chin and lifted his head. He chanced looking at him, doing his best to show that he hadn't been defeated yet, but Mike's whimper distracted them both. Saki released his grip and spun on his brother.

"See where your mouth gets you?" Saki taunted. "Or rather, where it gets your brother. He's trying to be brave for you, you realise?"

"Stop it, please." Mike whispered, his voice falling apart. "You've made your point, just... Just let him go."

Saki crouched down in front of him, raising his arm and proceeding to wipe his hand across Mike's plastron, Leo's blood smeared over his chest as the man laughed manically.

"So far," he sneered, "Your words have only caused him more pain. I suggest you work a little harder if you want to give him relief."

Mike looked at Splinter, his father now stood with armed guards, thrashing in their hold as he hissed and snarled at Saki. His Sensei had held his tongue long enough; he'd tried to remain calm but gave in to his rage the moment Shredder decided that Mike's words dictated the actions inflicted upon Leo.

Mike sighed, letting his head fall. "Whatever I say, you'll just hurt him more."

The pulley clicked again, then again. Mike's head shot up, eyes widening as he watched Leo's face contort into agony.

"Stop it!" He turned back to Saki, growling in anger. "What do you want from me? Everything I say is the wrong answer, you're hurting him just because you can, you bastard!"

Click.

"No!"

"Saki... Leave him alone."

Shredder spun away from Mike, stomping over to the stretched out form of Leo and roughly gripping his chin, shaking it viciously. "You are in no position to speak to me." He spat as the pulley clicked again. "I hold your life in my hands and I will do with it as I please."

"You never did play fair," Leo muttered indignantly, "Always using everyone and everything else before you even got off your ass."

Saki frowned, his fist clenching at his side. "I need no one to finish you, freak."

Leo laughed wryly, "I don't see you getting your hands dirty. Holding and torturing us is just another way of proving your incompetence in the battlefield."

Saki exploded, his fist smashed into Leo's face and his head snapped back. "You do nothing but worsen your position, Leonardo. I suggest you stop now before I finish this permanently."

He nodded at his ninja, silently signalling the winching to continue.

Leo panted as his body screamed against his position, grimacing at the sickly popping of the tendons and ligaments in his legs and arms. He held it together long enough to narrow his eyes and snarl. He knew it was suicidal, it could and would likely sign his death warrant, but attention on him and away from Mike was worth it.

"Coward."

The clicking noise barely registered, his brother screaming sounded so far away and he was sure he heard Saki order his men to shut Mike up. His tormentor howled in frustration, anger and hate as he slammed fist after fist into Leo's plastron and face.

Splinter, incensed and enraged, threw off his captors, snapping his hands free of his bonds and clawing away at his other restraints. He stood and launched into the air, claws bared and aimed at Shredder. The blow took the man by surprise and he barely had time to avoid the second attack, spinning and bringing himself up readily. As Splinter came at him, he dodged to the side, kicking the rat from behind as he passed him. His ninja came to his aid, blocking their master from his enemy and Saki used that time to draw the tazor from his belt. As Splinter dispatched the men, reaching down and scooping up a katana, he spun and stepped back quickly. He didn't have time to move as the tazor was thrust into his abdomen, his body instantly convulsing and quickly dropping to the floor even with him willing it otherwise.

Saki panted as he stared at the downed rat, anger demanding that he kick it until it breathed no more. He took a deep breath, ready to strike but the roar of sound and shaking of the ground beneath his feet stopped him.

He looked up, scanning the room and glancing at the door, waiting expectantly for it to open. Either his ninja would be entering to report, or someone had come to rescue what is left of this retched family of freaks.

Either way, he was ready.

The rumbling subsided, just as the lights gave out.

_A/N: So, if this carries on, I'm going to talk myself out of all the easy escape routes and have to find a way to write the tricky one that's becoming my only option. Hey ho, I'll give it a shot anyway, no guts no glory, right?_

_Thanks for reading x_


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